Naughey



(No Model.)

D. S. MQGONNAUGHEY. SUTURE INSTRUMENT.

N0. 462,270. Patented Nov. 3,1891.

- Lia/gator UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

DAVID S. MCCONNAUGIIEY, OF IVASIIINGTON, IOIVA.

SUTURE-INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,270, dated November3, 1891.

Application filed March 30, 1891. Serial No. 387,004. (No model.)

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID S. MOCON- NAUGHEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residin g at \Vashington, in the county of Vashington and Stateof Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSuture-Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in suture-instruments, theobject of the invention being to provide a simple, cheap, and efficientsurgical device for use in surgical operations in holding in appositionthe edges of an incision or the surface of wounded parts or lacerations;and the invention consists, essentially, in theconstruction,arrangement, and combination of parts, substantially aswill be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a planview of myimproved suture-instrument, the forcep-jaws being open. Fig. 2is a similar partial plan view with the forcep-handles broken off andthe jaws closed to hold one of the suturingdisks. Fig. 3is an edge viewof the device shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a reverse plan of the deviceshown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial longitudinal section.Fig. 6 is a plan and edge view of one of the suturingdisks. Fig. 7 is across-section of one of the suturing-disks after the cut therein hasbeen closed by pressure for the purpose of connecting the disk securelyto the end of a piece of wire. Fig. Sis a perspective view of one of thedisks and the wire connected thereto, said disk having its out or slotclosed and the periphery made substantially complete. Fig. 9 is a viewshowing a piece of wire with a suturing-disk securely connected to eachend thereof, and representing also a looped piece of wire having bothits ends connected to the same disk.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutall the different figures of the drawings.

In the construction of my improved sutureinstrument I first provide apair of forceps whose purpose it is to receive between their jaws aleaden or other soft-metal disk having a peripheral notch or cut, intowhich the ends of the silver or other wire are laid, and then bymanipulating the forceps said disk is pressed or squeezed so that it maytightly engage the wire or wires and be firmly connected thereto. Acommon and well-known method of closing sutures by a ligature in casesof-cleft palate, recto-vaginal, and vesicovaginal fistula cases is totake a thread, pass it through the sides of the incision, and then bringthe two ends together and enter them through an aperture in a shot,which is seized by forceps pushed up to the ligature, so as to bring theinside edges into apposition, after which the shot is squeezed flat soas to securely hold the suture. The bullet-suture is often employed, andlikewise the button and quill suture are used. Staphyloraphicinstruments and nraniscoplastic instruments are often employed foroperations upon the palate, the edges of the cleft being pared,ligatures passed through them, after which they are brought together bythe use of these instruments. My invention aims, however, to provide amuch simpler, cheaper, and better instrument than has heretofore beenused for the purpose of a suture-instrument, particularly when silver orother wire is employed for holding in apposition the edges of theincision. I simply refer to these other methods and instruments toindicate briefly an idea of some of the other modes and devices now inuse.

The forceps which I employ have the handles A A, which are of the properlength or shape and are preferably provided, respectively, with thefinger-loops a and a. These handles are pivoted together by means of thepivot D.

A designates one of the forcep-jaws, which is formed on the end of thehandle A beyond the pivot, and A designates the other forcepjaw, formed011 the end of the other handle A beyond the pivot- D. The opposinginner edges of the jaws A and A are provided, respectively, with curvedrecesses d and 6. These recesses are adapted to receive within them andbetween the jaws a suitable disk which can be tightly compressed withinthe recesses when the handles of the forceps are pressed together.

B designates astrip of thin spring-steel or other metal or material,serving as a shield or backing-plate, it being held in place by means ofthe'screwepivot D, which, we have seen, connects the forcep-jaws. Themetallic strip B is provided with a pair of oppositely-projecting flatsteel or other springs 19 b, which lie between the forcep-handles A Aand in contact therewith, said springs 19 I) being fastened on thecenter longitudinal line of the strip 13, and said springs operate tokeep the strip B exactly in a central position at all times, whether thejaws of the forceps are opened orclosed, in order that a central slot,slit,.opening, or notch B in the outer end of the shield B may be keptat a point midway between the opposing recessesd and 6, so that a wirewithinsaid slot B, resting in the lower end thereof, may be kept alsowithin acut in the suturing-disk which occupies a position within thejaws. The shield also serves-another very necessary purpose-that-ofpreventing any part of the tissues of the adjoining incision with whichthe instrument may at any time be used from falling between the bladesof the instrument.

0n the side of theforcepsopposite to where the shield B is located is athird blade or jaw O, which has several uses. Its lower end is providedwith a slot f, through which passes a headed .pin F, fixed intheforcep-han-dle A. The blade 0 is also furnished with a slot 0 longenough to permit of I a certain amount of oscillation or play, whichslot contains a headed pin .E, fixed in the forcep-handle A at a pointnot from the forceppivot D. Therefore the outer end of thebl-adeOis'contig'uous to the jaws A and A and as the forcep-han-dles aremanipulated and the foreep-jawsinconsequence move toward or away fromeach other the end of the blade or arm 0 will-likewise have a movementanalogous to the backward-and-forward movement of the jaw A but beingpivot-ed at a point below the pivot D the end of the bladeO will, whenthe two jaws A and A approach each other, have a cross or shearingmovement which will carry it not only across the face of jaw A but alsoover to the jaw A In other words, it will have a shearing movementacross thespace between the two jaws and accordingly across the face ofthe disk contained between said jaws. Theend of this blade 0 is providedwith a curved slot C, the edge of which is sharped to provide a'cutter.It may therefore be proper to enumrate the useof the blade 0 and itscutter G as being three in number. First. To hold thesuturing-diskbetween the jaws A and A It will of course be observed thatwhen a disk has been located between these jaws and the jaws have begunto move toward each-othersaid disks will be confined between the jaws Aand A the slitted endof the-shield-B, and the blade end-C of the armG,and hence the disk cannot escape, but must be squeezed and pressedtightly within its confined limits. Secondly. The object of thecutter-provided arm is to form a groove or guide for the end of the wirewhen it is being drawn or when the disk isbeing placed in position, theend of the wire obviously passing through the curved recesses O.Thirdly.

The blade 0 has the function of cutting, by

means of cutter O, the wire projecting on the surface of the disk. Asthe disk is being squeezed and tightly pressed upon the wire passingthrough it, cutter C will simultaneously operate to clip off or cut offthe projecting end of the wire close up against the face of the disk, sothat there will be no troublesome projecting end of the wire, and by onesimple squeezing movement not only will a perfect compression of thedisk be effected, but its upper surface will be left smooth and neat.The blade 0 can be readily disconnected from the other parts wheneverthe pivot I) has been removed for the purpose of disengaging the twopartsofthe forceps-since the elongated slots f and 0 will readily permitthe blade, when properly turned,to be removed from the headed pins E andFurthermo-re, it will be observed that the jaws A and A are made of thesame thickness as the disks which are to be placed between them; also,that the slot B in the end of the shield B will be of suitable depth andwidth to properly'permit the wire to pass t hrough,and also that theseveral parts will have their shapes, size, and relative adjustment sofixed and complete that the movements to which I have already referredin the description will take place successfully so as to accomplishperfectly the purposes for which they aresevorally and jointly intended;-and,-also, it will be noted that the blade O formsa-connection betweenthe two arms A and A, since the pin E is fixed in the arm or handleA'and the pin F is fixed in the arm or handle A". Therefore thehandles-of the forceps can be opened only just so far, the blade (3preventing any further movement after the limit has been reached. Othermodes of pivot-ally connecting the handles than by the use of the pivotI) may be employed. These handles may be constructed in any'suitablemanner to suit the convenience or taste of the user. They may bestraight or at an angle with the jaws, or they may be the ordinaryshears or scissors handle, or any other kind of handle.

Gr represents one of thesuturing-disks and H a piece of silver or otherwire to which my instrument is designed to connect the disk. The diskGis made of any suitable soft metal or material, such as lead. It isprovided with a V shaped cut extending inward from the periphery to thecenter and a little past the center. The inner opposing edges-of the cut9 are provided with longitudinal grooves or corrugations g.

The disks G are flat and preferably equal in thickness to aboutthe-thickness of the jaws of the forceps. It will be readily seen thatone of the disks G can by the compressing action of the forcepsbecompressed oar-squeezed together, so as to entirely close the out gand cause the corrugations or grooves to embed IIO' themselves in eachother, making the disk firm, complete, and tight. The end of the wiremay be laid within the cut g, so as to occupy a position at the centralpoint of the disk G. Then after the compression takes place on the wire,said wire will be rigidly connected to the disk at a central point.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale,ofthe workingparts of the device, the wire H occupying a position withinthe slit .13 within the bottom end of the disk-cut g, and also'withinthe cutterguide 0. A quick movement now of the hand in compressing thehandles of the forceps will compress the disk, engaging the wiretherewith and cutting off the projecting end of the latter, so as toleave asmooth outside surface on the disk. In this way the wires afterthey have been passed through the edges of an incision and said edgeshave been brought into close apposition may be tightly connected to oneof these disks in the manner shown in Fig. 9,where two ends of a wireare shown connected to a disk, or where a disk is shown connected toeach end of a piece of wire. The disks may be connected to the wires inany manner that it may be desired to have them, and connection will bequickly accomplished and will be found perfeet and durable.

In Fig. 7 the form of the wire itself within the disk after thelatterhas been tightly compressed is represented, it being obvious thatas the wire is compressed between the two corrugated edges it willitself be corrugated or ridged, and therefore the provision of thecorrugated edges of the cut assists in making the connection of thesuturing-disk with the wire stronger and more complete.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent-,- is- 1. In a suture-instrument, thecombination,

of the curved recessed forcep-jaws, the slitted shield, and thecutter-provided pivoted arm, substantially as described.

3. In asuture-instrument, the combination of a pair of interpivotedforcep-jaws, a slitted shield having the same pivot as said jaws, and anarm pivoted to each of the jaws and provided with a cutting end,substantially as described.

i. The combination of the interpivoted forcep-plates having jaws A Arecessed at eand d, the shield B, carried by pivot D,which connects thejaws, said shield having the end slit B, and having also theoppositely-projecting springs 19 1) between the lever-handles, and thecutter-arm O, pivoted to each of the aforesaid handles and having thecurved cutting-recesses 0, all arranged substantially as described.

5. In a suture-instrument, a pair of interpivoted forcep-handles havingjaws provided on their opposite inner edges with curved recesses adaptedto receive a cleft-disk and compress the same tightly upon a wire.

6. The combination,in a suture-instrument,

of a pair of pivoted forcep-jaws adapted to compress a disk between themand a third cutting-j aw having its arm pivoted to each of theforcep-jaws and its cutting-edge in proximity to the recessed faces ofthe jaws, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ai'iix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID S. MoGONNAUGI-IEY.

Witnesses:

D. J. DEWEY, A. S. FOLGER.

